Twin Paths
by Redrover117
Summary: Two paths, two families, one destiny. It came down to a choice between what was right and what was easy.
1. Differing Paths

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter.

Twin Paths

Chapter1: Differing Paths

 **February 1295  
England: Godric's Hollow  
Forest Hills**

Hardwin Potter

Potterer...

A name?

A profession?

Names are things that other people give you but a profession is something that you choose for yourself. He loved what he did and the way his life had turned out.

Still...

Things had been simpler back then when it was just him, his siblings and their parents. His father had moved to Godric's Hollow, a small village west of where he had been living before. There he met his future wife and mother of his children.

Merlin rest their souls...

He was their eldest son and the only one of their children who remained in Godric's Hollow after they died. Since then he continued his father's work as a potioneer and had even met another like him.

A witch...

Iolanthe Peverell was without a doubt the most intense woman he had ever met and that was before he started courting her. Her sheer presence was overwhelming and he could feel her magic leaking out of her whenever she was nearby, and that was while she was reigning it in. The few times that she lessened her control was enough to nearly bring him to his knees, while he was on the other side of the village.

She was a Peverell alright...

He sighed when he felt more than saw Iolanthe begin her daily training in the hills behind his family cottage. Hardwin had seen one of her training sessions and couldn't help but wonder why she pushed herself so far all of the time. All she ever told him was that it was to prepare but she never told him what she was preparing for.

"What are you doing?" Iolanthe Peverell asked him the moment he entered the clearing.

He'd always wondered how she was able to sense him so well but shook his head to rid himself of the thought. He was never able to get the drop on her the few times they'd dueled and that was with the element of surprise on his side, he wasn't going to start now.

"I came to see how you were doing?" he half asked as he examined the are.

Where once there was a nice clearing filled with grass and the odd few plants there was now nothing but craters and charred rock. What had she been doing here? This looked like it was more like a battlefield than a peaceful forest in the hills. And more importantly why was she going this far?

"Go home Hardwin," Iolanthe sighed and turned away from him. "You wouldn't understand even if I did explain it."

"Try me," he shot back. She was always like this, trying to do everything alone and pushing herself to the breaking point. He could tell she was running low on Magic by the way she seemed to be struggling to stand now. "I won't pretend to understand what's going through your mind right now but that doesn't mean that I don't want to understand."

"...Are you sure that you want to know?" she spoke without turning back towards him. "It's not a happy story."

"Yes," he answered truthfully.

He wanted to be there for her...

"Tell me, do you know of the Deathly Hallows?" she inquired as she turned around to face him.

"I've heard of them yes," Hardwin nodded confused. What did those myths have to do with this?

"The Deathly Hallows are real," she explained. "My grandfather and his brothers defied death and as a reward for standing up to him they were 'gifted' with the three Deathly Hallows."

"Your grandfather?" he asked her. "Ignotus Peverell right?"

"That's right," Iolanthe replied. "The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility together are the three Deathly Hallows."

Without another word her cloak inverted and covered her. Hardwin blinked in surprise as she disappeared from sight and realised that it was an invisibility cloak. He looked towards the ground but found no movement nor did he hear anything other than the destroyed clearing around them. He didn't even realise she had moved until he felt a blade at his neck and looked behind him. It was a short elegant blade with the Peverell family crest on the hilt and holding it was an arm hovering in midair.

No sound...

No movement...

A true invisibility cloak...

A Deathly Hallow...

"What does this have to do with anything?" Hardwin asked her completely at ease despite the sword at his neck.

"That story isn't true," she continued. "My grandfather and his brothers did defeat 'death' however it wasn't really the Death God. It was a demon, a monster that harvested the souls of the deceased and devoured them. It was the original Dementor, the being that created their entire unnatural race."

The Original Dementor...

The progenitor of all Dementors...

That was what the Peverell brothers defeated...

"So what happened exactly?" he questioned further.

"When my grandfather and his brothers defeated it, they split it into three pieces. The Deathly Hallows," Iolanthe explained. "If all three Deathly Hallows are ever reunited then _the_ Dementor will return and devour everyone."

If that happened their would be the end of the world...

"I won't let that happen," Hardwin spoke clearly. "Not in our lifetime or that of our descendants. I swear to you that no matter what we'll make sure that it will never threaten the world again."

A promise was made...

The Path of the Potter...

 **May 1863  
Uzu no Kuni: Uzumaki Clan Village  
Battlefield**

It was the middle of the night when it happened, when the beast descended upon the unsuspecting village on a full moon. Its three massive tails swinging around wildly and flattening everything they touched. Its shell spinning round as it rolled across the battlefield.

Ten year old Uzumaki Ashina was always a light sleeper, something he was thankful for whenever he was on a mission and an enemy ninja decided it was a good idea to try their luck. So he heard the screams long before he felt the tremors as the _demon_ arrived at the edge of his village.

The Sanbi…

One of the Biju…

It was here…

"It's getting closer!"

"Damn those Senju they've killed us all!"

"Somebody save us!"

He heard the yells from his fellow clansmen and the allied freelance ninja that had joined the village. The Senju clan? What did they have to do with this? It was only then that Ashina felt the presence of several strong chakras a few miles north of the village. He would have noticed them sooner but with the sheer amount of chakra coming off of the Sanbi and blanketing the area it was almost impossible to detect anything else.

The Sanbi roared as in released a shockwave that _broke_ the landscape around it. This was followed by a barrage of fast and powerful water bullets from the beast's mouth which tore through the village. Dozens of his peoople died within moments of the blasts detonating upon contact with anything they touched, creating explosions of water everywhere.

The Futon users among them quickly conjured spinning walls of wind— _ **Fuijinheki**_ — to repel the water blasts. After several more minutes of the Sanbi rampaging through the village the rest of the Uzumaki clan had regrouped and moved to counterattack the massive turtle. Spheres of chakra— _ **Amenomihashira**_ —shot from the their hands and slammed into the from of the Sanbi a moment later, forcing it back. Chains made of chakra— _ **Kongo Fusa**_ —formed from their hands and encircled the beast's shell, holding it down and causing it to roar even louder though the shockwave it released this time seemed to be contained within a dome of interlocking chains.

Ashina was among the number of Uzumaki that were casting the jutsu restraining the Sanbi. He breathed, straining to maintain it like the others beside him. It wasn't enough they all knew, after all while they could restrain it chakra and power, there was no way they could defeat it let alone kill it. The Biju were immortal demons that had only ever been beaten into submission by the Senju clan's Mokuton and the Uchiha clan's Sharingan.

There had to be something they could do…

Damn it there had to be something that _he_ could do. But his abilities didn't go beyond his clan's Fuinjutsu and skill with his spear. Wait—that was it! Fuinjutsu! He'd recently developed a seal that could pull humans and summoned creatures into their own bodies. If they couldn't kill it then why try and seal it?

Of course there was a massive difference between a summoned animal and a Biju but the principle should be the same. He took a deep breath as he felt the Sanbi start to break free of the chakra chains. Within moments it was free again and released another shockwave that pushed everyone away. This was it, it was now or never. Ashina took a step forward and formed hand seal.

" **Shisho Fuin."**

He spoke clearly as he slammed his hand down on the ground. Seals spread out across the ground and encircled the Sanbi as it roared again only for it to suddenly be silence. The turtle compressed slightly and was pulled into Ashina's body a moment later. Finally after it was done a seal formed on his stomach under his armour.

For a moment he felt nothing and then the world exploded in pain. His mind fractured and broke, shattering into a million pieces. He lost himself in the agony as his chakra pathways tried to adapt to the sudden influx of demonic energy. Not only that but he could feel the mental presence of the Sanbi press down upon him almost overwhelming him.

" _ **Let me out! Set me free!"**_

Ashina gritted his teeth as he fell down onto the ground, his own chakra flaring widely. He forced himself back from the brink, forcing down the Sanbi's presence, as his chakra seemed to calm its own. It took considerable effort on his part but he was able to suppress the Sanbi enough that it couldn't break out of his body. It was only then that he fell unconscious, his body and mind finally giving out.

The Path of the Uzumaki…

 **Author's Notes:**

 _ **Translation**_

Shisho Fuin = Four Symbols Seal  
Fujinheki = Swift Wind Wall  
Amenomihashira = Pillar of Heaven  
Kongo Fusa = Adamantine Sealing Chains

Please Read and Review.

See Ya Later…


	2. Hashirama and Madara

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter.

Twin Paths

Chapter2: Hashirama and Madara

 **April 1892  
Hi no Kuni: Forest  
River**

Love and Hatred...Anger and Joy...Light and Dark...Good and Evil...to her they were just words. Something that was spoken about in passing yet didn't really mean anything, not to someone like her, a kunoichi. She had spent her admittedly short life training and today was the first time that she was allowed to venture outside of Uzu no Kuni. The era she lived in was brutal where only the strongest survived and lived to see the next sunrise.

Thankfully her clan lived on an island nation off the coast of Hi no Kuni which her people called Uzu no Kuni, a fitting name since their clan was called Uzumaki. Her name was Uzumaki Mito, daughter of Uzumaki Ashina and the heiress of the entire Uzumaki clan. Four hundred years ago a man named Senju Arashi broke away from the Senju clan after he had developed a seal he called _**Jigenwareme**_ which took him outside the Shinobi World and returned several years later with his wife, a young witch named Uzumaki Yukari. Together they founded the Uzumaki clan in what would later become known as Uzu no Kuni and created the whirlpools that now surrounded it using powerful Fūinjutsu that they had developed.

Since then the Uzumaki clan had been trying to get the Senju and Uchiha clans to sit down and talk. It was their hope that if they could just get the two clans to talk with each other, then they might be able to come to some agreement, maybe even peace. But it never happened despite the best efforts of the Uzumaki clan over the last two hundred years, though that didn't stop them from trying to get the two clans to talk. Hell, there had been a couple of times where either the Senju or Uchiha had taken exception to the Uzumaki's interference and tried to dispose of them. Right now Mito's father was meeting with the current head of the Senju clan while she had wandered off into the woods and found herself at a river. A boy with black hair was standing at its edge and skipping stones across it, or trying to at least.

"Next time I'll definitely send it to the other side," the black-haired youth grumbled as he looked at the river.

A single stone bounced across it several times before hitting the other side of the river a second later…

"You should aim a little higher when you throw," a voice spoke up from behind him with his hand still outstretched. "That's how you get the knack of it."

Who was this guy?

"…I know that," the first boy finally said. "If I really want it, I'll throw all the way to the other side. Anyway, who are you?"

"…We could say I'm your rival at playing stone skipping," the newcomer shrugged with a grin. "Mine got to the other side, though."

"I asked you, who you are?" the first boy demanded with a glare.

"My name is Hashirama," the other boy answered.

"Hashirama eh? Watch this, this time I'll make it," the first boy smirked and threw the stone.

It skipped three times before falling into the water…

' _That was pathetic,'_ Mito thought from above. _'Though judging by the way he threw the stone, he clearly has some experience in using shuriken.'_

"Bastard! You stood behind me on purpose to distract me, didn't you?! I'm sensitive, I can't even pee if someone's standing behind me!" the first boy shouted over his shoulder shocking Hashirama.

"I'm sorry," Hashirama apologized as he fell to his knees looking like his life was over.

' _What in the Sage's name did I just watch?'_ Mito blinked in confusion. _'These two are both idiots.'_

"Er…do you have to get that depressed…s-sorry…it was just an excuse," the first boy said as he looked down at Hashirama unsure what else to say.

"I didn't know that you had just annoying subjective symptoms," Hashirama sighed seemingly at the end of his rope.

"I can't understand if you're a good or bad guy, you jerk!" the first boy snarled angrily at him.

"But you understand that I'm better than you at stone skipping," Hashirama laughed as he jumped back to his feet.

"Next time I'll use you instead of the stone!" the first boy yelled as he pointed at him.

She had enough of this nonsense…

"For the love of the Sage, both of you shut up!" Mito shouted from the tree above them. "You're giving me a headache, dattebane!"

The two boys looked up at the sound of her voice and took a step back in surprise, clearly not having sensed her at all. She sighed at that and dropped down in front of them, straightening out her clothes after she landed on her feet. Huffing slightly, she walked forward and picked up a small stone off of the ground before stepping up the edge of the river. With one single motion she threw the stone at the water, skipping it several times before it reached the other side and kept going until it hit a tree.

"And _that's_ how you do it, dattebane," Mito said with a wide smile on her face.

"Who are you?" the first boy questioned with a softer look than he did with Hashirama.

"My name is Mito," the redhead bowed slightly. "What's yours?"

"…Madara," the first boy finally answered.

"What's that?" Hashirama suddenly spoke up and dashed out onto the river.

Mito and Madara looked over at where he was going only to find him standing on the water. In front of him was a body flouting in the water, face down and unmoving. Looking him over, he saw a clan symbol on the man's armoured shoulder, the symbol of the Hagoromo clan. Mito saw it too and narrowed her eyes knowing that the Hagoromo clan was allied with the Uchiha clan, known rivals of the Senju clan.

"Are you a shinobi?" Madara asked the other boy dumbstruck.

"…The war is going to reach this place soon," Hashirama gritted out as he crouched over the man. "I have to go," he said as he jumped over to the other side of the river.

"Not revealing your surname to a stranger is one of the shinobi rules," Madara mused as he looked between the two of them.

"As I thought," Hashirama nodded back. "You're a shinobi too."

"And you?" Madara asked turning to the lone girl. "Judging by the way you threw that stone earlier, I take it you're a kunoichi."

"That's right," Mito smiled back as she turned away. "See you around, Hashirama, Madara."

With that she jumped back up into the trees and disappeared into the woods. So they were shinobi from other clans huh? The thought intrigued Mito whom had never met any before, especially outside of the battlefield. She'd been on missions before for her clan and had even killed before but those were brief skirmishes with wandering ninja that tried to attack the Uzumaki clan village in Uzu no Kuni. No clan had been willing to dedicate a force big enough to attack Uzu no Kuni outright and kill everyone so she hadn't actually faced one before either. Still, judging by the way things were on the mainland, the average life expectancy being thirty at the most, she was glad that she'd never had to live here like those two boys did.

She arrived at the Senju clan village and quickly made her way towards the central building where her father was just leaving. Though it was more like he was storming out judging by the damn near murderous look on his face and the utter rage in his eyes. She didn't know what had upset him but since she knew that he was meeting with the Senju clan leader Butsuma, something had evidently happened which greatly angered her father.

"That arrogant fool," Uzumaki Ashina hissed in barely contained anger. "I know that he lost his son today but if this keeps going on, nothing will change."

"Father?" Mito inquired confused. "I take it that the meeting didn't go well?"

"Indeed," Ashina nodded in reply. "Come, we're leaving."

"Leaving?" Mito asked further.

"We're going to go and see the Uchiha," Ashina answered simply. "I'm through trying to get Butsuma to listen and try for a peaceful solution. He doesn't _want_ peace; he only wants revenge against the Uchiha clan. Hopefully we'll have better luck trying to get Tajima to agree to peace talks. Let's just go, we're done here."

"…Yes father."

After leaving the Senju clan the village, Ashina and Mito headed for the Uchiha clan's own village. When they arrived the Uchiha clansmen standing guard checked them over and Ashina went onto meet with Uchiha Tajima, the current head of the Uchiha clan. Meanwhile Mito had wandered off again and headed back to the river where she found a lone boy sitting at its edge. It was Hashirama, one of the boys from the day before, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

"Hashirama?" Mito asked as she walked up alongside him. "What are you doing, sitting on the ground like that?"

"Mito right?" Hashirama asked back before shaking his head. "It's nothing."

"You're lying," a voice spoke up from behind them both. They both turned to see Madara standing there, looking annoyed and a little worried. "Did something happen?"

"I told you it's nothing," Hashirama said with a sigh.

"Tell us or I'm going to throttle you," Mito told him.

"...Two of my younger brothers died," Hashirama answered finally. "The reason I came here is that by looking at the river I feel like these vague feelings are carried away by the water, you two are ninja so I think you might understand that."

"I have…four…brothers…" Madara trailed off as he picked up a stone off of the ground and threw it all the way to the other side of the river. "Well I _had_ them, but we're shinobi, we might die anytime. The only way not to die is to show what you really think to your enemy, without hiding anything and become allies with them. But that's impossible because it's not possible to see what a person really thinks and feels deep inside. You don't even know if they seethe at all…"

"…You got to the other side this time," Mito commented. "I don't have any brother or sisters so I don't understand fully, but I do understand where you're coming from. Still, I'm sure there's a way for people to at least understand each other, even if they disagree on stuff, dattebane."

"Maybe," Madara conceded. "I guess we'll find out."

"…Hey," Hashirama spoke up as he rose to his feet. "Do you want to spar for a bit?"

"Yeah," Mito nodded with a grin. "But I think you two should spar with me rather than one on one or anything."

"What?" Madara smirked back at her. "You think that you can take us both on?"

"A guy with hair long enough that people start wondering if he's really an ugly girl in disguise or a guy with the lamest set of robes I've ever seen?" Mito mocked as she jumped back. "Of course I think that I can take you both on."

"I don't care if you are a girl," Madara snarled as he settled into a fighting stance she didn't recognize. "I'm going to beat you black and blue."

"Me too," Hashirama smiled widely. "We'll try to go easy on you though."

"This'll be fun," Mito laughed and charge right at them.

In the end Mito won leaving the two boys lying on the ground in front of her out of breath and bruised all over. Neither of them were particularly bothered by that though, they just wanted to get stronger and try to defeat her. So they kept coming back to the river to meet each other and spar a little before heading back to where they came from. They never won against her but they tried anyway, always without any of them uttering their surnames. They even went as far as to show each other their jutsu and talked about the future.

"You can get a view of the whole forest from up here," Hashirama commented as they sat on the edge of the cliff overlooking the forest below.

"Yeah," Madara agreed. "I'm confident that I can beat you when it comes to seeing stuff at a distance, want to challenge me?"

"What are you, a Hyuga?" Mito chuckled. "Yeah right, I can see better than either of you since you're both blind as a bat."

"You seem to be really proud of your eyes," Hashirama commented.

"A Hyuga? Don't insult me," Madara sneered in disgust. "And of course I'm proud of my eyes, I have the Shar-" he paused when he realised what he was about to say and fell silent.

"Madara?" Mito asked confused.

"What is it?" Hashirama inquired worriedly.

"No, in the end I'm not that good," Madara sighed and shook his head. "If I were that good my brothers wouldn't have died…I wasn't even able to protect them…what is…what is…"

"Don't you have any brothers left?" Hashirama asked him.

"I still have one younger brother," Madara answered. "And I'll protect him no matter what happens."

"Okay then, let's build a settlement here, let's make it a place where children don't have to kill each other," Hashirama spoke clearly as he gestured towards the forest before them. "We'll build a school where children will be taught how to grow and get stronger. Missions will be chosen depending on personal skills and strength. Seniors will assign proper levels, in our village children won't be sent to the battlefields."

"You come up with strange ideas," Madara chuckled in amusement. "But when we do build it, I'll watch over my little brother from here."

"Yeah," Mito smiled at the two of them. "I can't wait to see it."

It wasn't long before the sun started to set and the three of them went their separate ways again. Mito left the area last and headed towards where her father had set up camp. His recent talks with the Uchiha clan hadn't worked out well and he'd left emptyhanded again. Mito arrived to see Ashina sitting at the campfire with a grave expression on his face and a hollow look in his eyes as he stared into the flames, seemingly obvious to the world around him.

"Mito," Ashina greeted as she approached. "Sit down."

"Is something wrong, father?" Mito asked as she sat down.

"Yes," Ashina replied as he looked up at her. "As you know, I am a sensor like the rest of our clan and I like to keep an eye on you, especially here. I know you've been leaving the villages while I'm negotiating and I know that you've been meeting someone, two someones."

"Father I-" Mito started.

"A Senju and an Uchiha," Ashina cut in. "Judging by the fact that they haven't killed each other yet, I assume that neither knows who the other really is though they will soon."

"What are you talking about?" Mito asked with dread.

"I sensed a pair of others watching you three," Ashina answered. "Another Senju and Uchiha."

"I've got to warn them," Mito said as she suddenly stood up.

"They are no doubt back in their home villages by now," Ashina told her. "You'll meet them again tomorrow and warn them then."

"But-" Mito began.

"There's nothing more you can do today," Ashina spoke clearly. "I will go with you in case anything happens."

It was in that moment that Mito knew it…

Tomorrow wasn't going to end well…

"First of all let's use stone skipping as our greeting," Madara suggested as he stood at one side of the river.

"Yes," Hashirama agreed as he stood at the other side.

They threw both stones across the river at the same time, skipping them across the surface of the water until they both reached the other side. The two boys caught the stones once they'd reached them and lifted them up to look at them. The moment they caught sight of them, they found words etched into them. They both froze in shock at the sight of the words before quickly pulling themselves back together enough to think about their next action.

"Hashirama…sorry…today I remembered that I have to do something," Madara waved as he turned to leave.

"I-I see," Hashirama responded as he too turned away and waved back. "Then I'll go home too today."

The two broke into a mad dash away from each other and towards the trees where they could at least get into cover. 'Run Away' and 'It's a trap, leave' were the words written on the stones so both of them knew what was going on. Before either of them could reach the trees however, four blurs sprang out of the forest and onto the water. Two adults and two children. Senju Butsuma and Senju Tobirama stood beside each other while standing opposite them were Uchiha Tajima and Uchiha Izuna.

"So we had the same idea," Tajima chuckled.

"So it seems," Butsuma agreed with a glare.

Without another word Tobirama and Izuna rushed right at each other with their swords raised. Madara and Hashirama shouted for them to stop but their words fell on deaf ears as the two swung at each other. The two swords that they were wielding clashed with a resounding clang as Butsuma and Tajima jumped up over their heads. They both threw kunai at each other's sons knowing full well that the first child to die would demoralize the father and allow for one side to emerge victorious.

Such was the fate of those bearing the name ninja…

Both kunai were swatted away by a pair of shuriken from the side surprising everyone as Tobirama and Izuna broke away from each other. Two figures landed in the center of the river between the Senju and Uchiha clansmen, both of whom they already knew. Uzumaki Ashina was glaring between the two clan heads with no small amount of distain and Mito had never looked so saddened in her entire life, especially when she saw Hashirama and Madara land beside their brothers, standing apart from each other.

"What are you all doing?!" Ashina shouted at them all. "Do you hate each other so badly, that this is all you both can amount to?!"

"Enough Ashina-dono," Butsuma spoke clearly. "There is no room here for talks of peace."

"I don't know about that Butsuma," Tajima sneered at him. "We are always willing to accept your surrender."

"Never," Butsuma responded coldly.

"I don't care who you are," Madara declared with a glare. "I won't forgive anyone who tries to hurt my brother."

"It's the same for me," Hashirama proclaimed. "But we can still do this, Madara."

"It seems we won't be able to reach that idiotic pipedream of ours after all," Madara sighed knowingly.

"Madara…you…" Hashirama trailed off.

"It didn't last long but I had fun," Madara told him.

"Don't do this," Mito pleaded. "Please don't fight."

Sparring was one thing but actual fighting?

She couldn't let them do it…

"Three against three? Do you think you can handle it, Madara?" Tajima asked his son.

"No," Madara answered truthfully. "Hashirama is stronger than I am and if Mito gets herself involved, we'll definitely lose."

"There's someone our age that's stronger than you Oniichan?" Izuna asked in surprise.

"I see," Tajima nodded in understanding. "I didn't think he'd be that strong, and I'd rather Ashina didn't involve himself in our fight either."

"We're leaving," Madara said clearly as he turned away.

"Madara, you're not giving up, are you?" Hashirama asked him.

"You're a Senju, I wish it was different but my brothers were killed by Senju," Madara responded as he looked over his shoulder and his Sharingan appeared in his eyes. "That's why there's no need for us to be spilling our guts here, because the next time we'll meet is on the battlefield. _Senju_ Hashirama, Uzumaki Mito, I am _Uchiha_ Madara."

' _That's…'_ Mito thought in no small amount of apprehension at the sight of those eyes.

"Look Father! Onii-chan's eyes!" Izuna shouted cheerfully.

"We didn't get any info on the Senju but it seems we got something good on our side after all," Tajima commented.

"Did his Sharingan just awaken?" Butsuma mused at the sight.

The Uchiha clan members left a second later leaving them alone in the river…

"…That's it then," Ashina sighed and turned away. "Come, we're leaving too."

"Father?" Mito inquired hesitantly.

"We're returning to Uzu no Kuni," Ashina told her. "I'm done trying to get them to talk; they can do whatever they want."

"Mito?" Hashirama asked sadly.

"…Goodbye Hashirama," Mito whispered as she turned away too.

A second later the two Uzumaki clan members disappeared into the trees in the direction of the coast where their ship was waiting for them to return home to Uzu no Kuni. There was nothing here for them now, maybe in time they could come back and try again but after today the road to peace seemed to be nothing but a far-off dream. As they made their way back home, Mito couldn't help but think back to the two boys she'd met at a river and the times they'd spent together.

It had been fun while it lasted…

 **Author's Notes:**

 _ **Translation**_

Jigenwareme = Dimensional Rift

Please Read and Review.

See Ya Later…


	3. Albus and Gellert

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter.

Twin Paths

Chapter3: Albus and Gellert

 **February 1899  
Uzu no Kuni: Uzumaki Clan Village  
Main Temple**

It had been seven years since she had first met Hashirama and Madara at that river in Hi no Kuni. Since then she had been sent out on missions with other members of her clan to various battlefields in Uzu no Kuni when the Kaguya clan made landfall and began invading the island nation. The Kaguya clan was strong and vicious but they were ill equipped to deal with the Uzumaki clan's style of Fūinjutsu. After several years of almost nonstop fighting, the Kaguya clan fled back to Mizu no Kuni and had never been heard from since.

"Are you telling me that you've mastered Arashi-sama's _**Jigenwareme?**_ A seal capable of transporting people across _dimensions_ at will?" Ashina asked the question.

"Yes," the now seventeen year old Mito replied.

"Interesting…" Ashina trailed off as he contemplated the possibilities.

"With it we can better deploy our forces faster to counter any incursion into Uzu no Kuni by other clans," Mito explained. "Like the Kaguya clan."

She still remembered when the Kaguya clan first attacked Uzu no Kuni, they came out of nowhere using their inhuman bone structures to bypass the thousand or so whirlpools around the island and struck without warning. It was only due to Mito being in the area at the time to rally their defences that they'd been able to hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive from the Uzumaki clan village and push the Kaguya clan back to their beachhead.

"…Tell me about what you've found," Ashina said simply.

"Well I haven't fully mapped it out or anything but so far but it seems to be inhabited," Mito explained. "It's the outlands."

"The outlands," Ashina mused as he thought back on the legends. "I want you to go back there and investigate. Find out everything you can about them and report back."

He'd heard the story and read the notes concerning the founding of the Uzumaki clan. Senju Arashi had developed a seal—the _**Jigenwareme**_ —and travelled outside of the Shinobi World to what he called the outlands. Once there he had travelled around and discovered two other worlds overlapping each other, one inhabited by civilians and another by people calling themselves witches and wizards.

He'd met a young witch in a country called Japan called Uzumaki Yukari and returned to the Shinobi World with her. The _**Jigenwareme**_ was an extremely difficult Fūinjutsu to learn and master, which was why no one had been able to use it since Arashi died. The fact that Mito had apparently been able to learn it was astounding, and changed everything. If she used it again then they could travel outside of the Shinobi World and research new more powerful jutsu.

They could even...dare he say it...create a proper village...

A place where children from different clans could live side by side...

"…Yes Father," Mito bowed her head at the order and turned to leave.

"Good luck," Ashina told her.

Mito left her father's office and headed for her room where the few things she possessed her sealed away in scrolls. It didn't take her long to reach it and step inside, taking care to shut the door behind her. Once she was inside, she grabbed her bag from on top of her draws and started packing away her scrolls. She usually did this before a mission and she'd gotten used to packing for long missions that may take months to do.

Like this one…

After she'd finished packing away her stuff, she left the room, making sure to seal it behind her, and headed for the clan temple where she had set up her interdimensional seal. It had taken a lot of preparation to make it and she was pleased with the results. If this could help her family survive whatever crisis came their way, then that was enough for her. She entered the temple soon after and quickly made her way to the sealing room.

"Here I go," Mito whispered as she stepped onto the seal. **"Jigenwareme."**

She disappeared in a burst of light…

 **June 1899  
England: Godric's Hollow  
Cemetery**

After arriving outside of the Shinobi World, Mito found herself in a desert-like dimension before travelling to the inhabited 'world' she had found. It appeared that someone had erected a barrier of some kind around the continent containing the ninja population and shifted it into another dimension, taking it out of phase with the rest of reality. It spoke of incredible power when she considered that something like that was possible since it meant that someone had literally _sealed_ the Elemental Nations in a pocket-dimension.

It didn't end there however...

A week after her arrival in the outside world she analyzed the 'barrier' between the normal world and the 'magic' world. Mito was thankful that she was a witch otherwise she would have likely missed it but with a wand in hand and her understanding of seals—runes in this case—she discovered that it acted much like barrier surrounding the Elemental Nations only on a smaller scale. The 'Magic World' was a series of smaller pocket dimensions dotting about the normal world, sealing it off like the Shinobi World was. Her ancestor, Uzumaki Yukari, had called them wards and had detailed how they essentially closed off space in specific areas so that they weren't discovered by the 'Muggles' who were normal people.

The 'Muggles' of the normal world had no idea that chakra existed or even witches, wizards, ninja or any other creature in the worlds. Soon enough she started investigating the Magic World and found herself in a small village called Godric's Hollow. She'd found a wizarding marketplace in a city called London and had bought some books from the stores to find out more information on them. It was then that she discovered that families of wizards and witches mingled together all the time instead of fighting each other like they did in the Shinobi World.

It was in Godric's Hollow that she met _them_...

' _I need to report back to Father tonight,'_ Mito thought as she walked through the street. _'What's this? A graveyard?'_

She stopped as she passed a small gate and looked over at the graveyard on the other side of it. It was dark but she could tell, a number of people were there next to different graves. The concept of a graveyard was something new to her since any ninja who died in battle usually had their bodies incinerated to stop their enemies from desecrating them and learning whatever secrets their body's may possess and use them against the Uzumaki clan.

"Are you okay, Miss?" a voice spoke up from behind her. She turned, her wand sliding into her hand as she did so and _he_ took a step back while bringing his hands up in a nonthreatening manner. "Hey now, please don't point that thing at me. I'm not going to hurt you; I was just asking if you were alright?"

"...I'm fine thank you," Mito said quietly as she lowered her wand.

"A jumpy one, aren't you?" he mused before shaking his head. "I'm Henry Potter, who are you?"

"Mito," she replied simply.

Even if she wasn't in the Shinobi World anymore there was no way she giving out her clan name to anyone...

"Mito huh?" Henry asked. "Sounds foreign," he shrugged and walked on passed her into the cemetery. "I'll see you around, Miss Mito."

She watched him walk over to a set of graves and sighed before turning away. They must have been his parents' graves and he was paying his respects to them, a foreign concept for her since she hadn't really mourned her mother's death all those years ago, instead simply hurling herself into learning more Fūinjutsu. Turning away from the cemetery she spotted another man her age standing not too far away, another wizard judging by the robes, and looking down at the wand in his hand.

"Yes?" he asked looking up at her. "Can I help you?"

"I'm sorry," Mito bowed her head in apology. "I was just wondering what you were doing?"

"...It's nothing," he shook his head. "I was just lost in my thoughts for a moment."

"Your thoughts?" Mito inquired.

"It's complicated," he sighed and shook his head a bit more. "I recently graduated at the top of my class and wanted to travel the world with a friend of mine. I wanted to be great, you know? But my mother just passed away and I'm forced to come back here to look after my little brother and sister."

"And you never wanted the responsibility," Mito nodded in understanding.

"No I did not," he grumbled out.

"...What's your name?" a new voice spoke up from behind them.

"My name?" he asked as he looked over at the one who had spoken. It was another young man the same age as them, also dressed in robes though his weren't brown, they were black. "My name is Albus Dumbledore."

"Gellert Grindelwald," the newcomer responded with a nod. "I just graduated myself and I too want to become something great. Tell me, Albus, have you ever heard of the Deathly Hallows? Supposedly death itself created them, three artefacts of incredible power."

"You're searching for them?" Mito inquired. "And what do these artefacts do exactly?"

"One is said to be an invisibility cloak which hides the user from everyone, even death itself. Another is said to be capable of calling back the spirits of those that have died," Gellert explained. "And the last is said to be the most powerful wand ever made."

Mito didn't know either of them that well considering this was their first meeting, but she knew a sales pitch when she heard one. Gellert was putting on a show of knowing about some strange and powerful artefacts, things that would no doubt be incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands, and he was doing it to draw them in. She wasn't sure why but he seemed to be leading up to something, and whatever it was, Albus looked as if he was already hooked on the other man's words.

"Incredible..." Albus trailed off.

"Perhaps we could talk some more in private?" Gellert suggested. "Maybe at my place?"

"Yes of course," Albus nodded in agreement.

"...Lead the way."

 **August 1899  
England: Godric's Hollow  
Church Lane**

Uzumaki Mito sighed deeply as she listened to her friends ramble on, talking about the strangest of legends that the Wizarding World had to offer. One in particular caught her attention, the one that Gellert and Albus seemed almost obsessed over. No matter what they talked about, it always came back to that one legend, the legend of the Deathly Hallows and what it meant to possess them. She'd heard it a lot over the last month and it still disturbed her.

"I'm telling you, the Deathly Hallows must be real," Gellert spoke clearly. "I've looked through hundreds of books and I've come across references to them everywhere. Lovegood even has the symbol for them hanging around his neck wherever he goes."

"The Elder Wand, the Cloak of Invisibility and the Resurrection Stone," Albus smiled widely as he thought of them.

How great would it be to have even one of them he wondered? With the most powerful wand he could become the next Merlin, with the cloak he could hide Ariana from the world so he wouldn't have to look after her anymore, and with the Resurrection Stone he could learn magic that had been lost to ages past by contacting the dead. Oh what he wouldn't give to have even one of them, just one, it didn't matter which.

"So what if they're real?" Henry asked them both. "I get why you'd want them but what good are they in the end?"

"Yeah," Mito nodded. "I mean what happens after you get them? Gaining power for power's sake feels kind of…hollow"

"You don't understand," Gellert shook his head. "The legend says that the one who gains possession of all three Deathly Hallows will become the Master of Death, an immortal without equal with power beyond imagination."

The Master of Death…

Henry had to keep himself from frowning at his words and they represented. He knew the legend, admittedly far more intimately than they did, and it was getting increasingly difficult to maintain his poker face. After all he knew exactly where one of the Deathly Hallows was, in his basement back at his family cottage. The Cloak of Invisibility had been in his family for generations ever since Ignotus Peverell was 'gifted' it by the 'death.' Henry had used it in his youth but after discovering its origins had opted to keep it hidden out of sight.

There were those that would kill for it…

"Imagine the good we could do with that kind of power," Albus carried on. "We could end all war and bring peace to everyone, wizards and muggles alike."

"…And how does having more power bring peace?" Mito asked them.

"Look at us," Gellert said as he gestured to them all. "We wizards cower and hide from the muggles as if they are somehow better than us. We hide not for their protection but for our own. They slaughter each other by the thousands every day and yet we're the ones that hide who we really are just to keep peace with them. When they discover us, and some day they will, we will be wiped out. I want to save this world, I want to save the muggles from themselves and to do that I need more power."

Mito stared at him for a long time after that, they all did, and with good reason. She could understand where he was coming from, she really did, but if he was suggesting what she thought that he was suggesting then that was it, she couldn't be his friend anymore. It would be just like with Hashirama and Madara all those years ago. She didn't want that but she had learned the hard way that people like this existed, and after dealing with the Kaguya clan, she wasn't going to take any chances.

"…And those that don't agree with you?" Mito inquired further.

"Sacrifices must be made for the Greater Good," Gellert responded calmly. He'd wipe them all out, every single one of them. He would crush any and all opposition. She could see it in his eyes, there was no hesitation, no second thoughts, only a burning desire to accomplish his goals by whatever means necessary.

He would have made a good Shinobi…

"You're mad," another voice spoke up from behind them. "You're insane," it was Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus' little brother. He was helping his sister Ariana walk down the street. "Do you even hear yourself? You're talking about taking over the world and mass murder!"

"Aberforth," Albus said as he looked over at his brother. "You just don't understand."

"Oh I understand Albus," Aberforth shot back. "You've let this power hungry bastard tell you what you want to hear and now you're going along with whatever he's saying! You don't even see it, do you!?"

"Enough brother," Albus spoke sternly. "This isn't the time nor place."

Aberforth simply glared at him in disgust as he thought about what his brother was becoming. He knew that Albus was powerful and wanted to go all the way to the top of the Wizarding World but he also knew that as far as his brother was concerned, his family was a burden that he could do without. Both he and Ariana were burdens to him, or at least that's what he believed, and this here proved it. Aberforth always knew that his brother was arrogant but this was something else entirely, and he had to put a stop to it now before it was too late.

Sometimes Albus made his sick…

This was one of those times…

" **Stupefy!"**

A wand was suddenly in Aberforth's hand and a blue light shot forth from its tip, crossing the distance between him and his brother. A translucent blue barrier sprang- _ **Protego**_ —into existence from Albus' own wand a second later, narrowly deflecting the spell harmlessly to the side. Aberforth couldn't stand it, he simply couldn't stand that his brother regarded him and their sister as burdens. Sweet Ariana didn't deserve her fate and Aberforth wasn't near as skilled as Albus but still, Albus wasn't better than them despite what he believed. Aberforth turned his wand on Gellert and was just about to cast a spell when a whip of fire lashed out from Albus' wand and cut across where he was standing forcing him to defend with his own barrier spell.

" **Protego,"** Aberforth gritted out as he narrowly deflected the fire whip. Albus was skilled; of that there was no doubt. He was a genius when it came to controlling his magic, something he demonstrated by blazing a path through school and mastering various spells.

He was also good at silent casting…

"That's enough," Henry spoke up as he stepped between them. "Stop it now both of you."

It all happened in an instant, one moment he was between them and the next he was flung away and sent crashing into the nearby gate to the graveyard. Standing a few feet away was Gellert with his hand outstretched, his palm open and a look of disgust on his face. Like Albus he too was a genius at magic though unlike him, Gellert excelled at wand-less magic as well as silent-casting. A simple banishing charm done with nothing more than a thrust of his hand.

"Stop it!" Ariana shouted at them from the side. "Please stop!"

Albus didn't register the origin of that plea until the blasting curse had already left his wand. His eyes widened as he realised who had spoke, and whom he had just shot a spell at. His sister, Ariana, her eyes widened as the blasting curse closed in on her and she knew that she was about to die. For a brief moment her admittedly short life flashed before her eyes and she knew that this was the end. Suddenly a blue ball crashed into her and knocked her to the ground. The curse flew right through the space she had occupied seconds before and exploded against the wall of the fence behind her a moment later with enough force to send her spinning away.

"W-what?" Ariana stammered as she looked up at her saviour. Henry who had saved her from being killed by her brother having recovered from Gellert's banishing charm before. He looked down at her and smiled softly, reassuring her that she was okay.

"Are you alright?" Henry asked her as Mito rushed over to their side. Ariana nodded slowly, unable to speak, this was all happening so fast and she didn't know what to do. Her brothers were fighting and she'd just nearly been killed by one of them.

"Albus," Aberforth gritted out in anger. "You almost killed Ariana!"

"No…I…" Albus trailed off in shock as he stared down at his wand and shook his head. "I didn't mean to-".

"Leave," Aberforth snarly angrily. "Get out of here and never come back. I don't want to see your face ever again!"

Albus couldn't believe what he'd nearly done; he'd almost killed his sister by accident, almost as if it was an afterthought. All he could do was stare at his brother, unable to say anything in his defence, not that there was anything he could say. What was there to say? I'm sorry that I just tried to kill our sister? Without a word he turned and _**apparated**_ away from Godric's Hollow with a loud crack signalling his departure.

"We all could have been great," Gellert told them. "Remember that."

And then he too was gone…

Mito couldn't help but feel hollow for knowing that their friends had chosen that path, the path of death and destruction that she had been trying to escape in the Shinobi World. She couldn't pursue them, not with how fast they would be moving. If they had any sense they would be out of the country within the day, especially with their _**Apparation**_ spell, a space-time spell that allowed the user to teleport from one location to another almost instantly.

Somehow she knew that they would meet again…

 **Author's Notes:**

 _ **Translation**_

Jigenwareme = Sealing Technique: Dimensional Rift

Please Read and Review.

See Ya Later…


	4. Migration

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter.

Twin Paths

Chapter4: Migration

 **January 1913  
Uzu no Kuni: Uzumaki Clan Village  
Main Temple**

Years passed far too quickly for Mito's liking and most of it she had spent travelling. The outlands were vast and filled with such wonders that she could scarcely believe any of it. The so-called 'Wizarding and 'Muggle' worlds may overlap each other but they were kept separate for the most part, something that she found very disturbing. But then again, the 'Shinobi' world wasn't any better with its never ending clan wars, though thankfully the conflict hadn't spread to the outlands and was 'contained' on the ninja continent. It took some work but she'd eventually discovered that the entire continent was hidden behind a barrier of some kind, one that hid it from the rest of the world.

"You've gathered quite a bit of information on the outlands," Ashina mused as he looked over the reports his daughter had given him. "Good work Mito."

"They're good people, father, just like us," Mito told him. "We could learn a lot from them."

"I will meet with them personally and begin negotiations. Who do you recommend we approach?" Ashina inquired.

"Potter Henry," Mito answered simply. "He recently took up his family's lordship and is starting to push for the wizards to aid the normal people in their current war. He's a good man, we should talk with him."

Yes, Henry Potter wasn't a weak willed man nor did he think of normal people as beneath him. All he wanted to do was help fight for the freedom of his family and nation, something that she could respect since she too had fought for her people. The only difference was that he fought in the political arena while she fought on the frontlines, constantly risking her life just to be able to buy the people she cared about one more day of survival.

"A good man huh?" Ashina smirked at his suddenly red faced daughter. "That's quite some praise coming from you, after all, not even those Senju and Uchiha kids garnered such words."

"It's nothing of the sort," Mito denied as she looked away. "He's just a friend."

"So were they," Ashina chuckled slightly before waving it off.

That's right; she'd once been friends with Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, the heirs of their respective clans. She hadn't seen them since the incident years ago however she'd heard the reports. They were still fighting to this day, battle after battle, day after day, constantly trying to defeat the other. What did they look like now? She couldn't even remember their faces now after so long, not that it mattered anymore.

"It doesn't matter now," Mito spoke clearly with closed eyes.

Those peaceful days were gone now, replaced with hardship and constant fighting. She was sick of it, the seemingly never ending war that they'd found themselves in because of the shinobi system and simple human nature. In a better world the three of them could have stayed friends and grown up together. But in this world that didn't happen and her only wish now was to find some way for her and her clan to live in peace.

"There is one thing that bothers me," Ashina spoke up suddenly turning serious once again. "Their isolationist nature and this 'Statute of Secrecy' may prove to be a problem later if the normal people discover them and us. We will have to tread carefully and plan accordingly."

"I will try and acquire more information."

 **March 1914  
Uzu no Kuni: Uzumaki Clan Village  
Main Temple**

Uzumaki Ashina couldn't help but feel helpless as he looked over the latest reports from the mainland, specifically the reports regarding the Senju and Uchiha clans. The clan wars still continued as those two kept fighting each other and now that was about to spill over to them too. He'd just received marriage contracts from both clans asking for his daughter's hand and he hated himself for a moment when he actually considered accepting. Allying with one of the two strongest clans in Shinobi history was a wise course of action considering the state of their world at the moment and as the head of the Uzumaki clan it was their best bet to survive, however as a father he could never do such a thing.

Mito should marry for love not loyalty to the clan…

So he refused both contracts and now both clans were pissed at the Uzumaki for not falling into line like so many other clans had done. They were both gathering their forces to attack, using this as an excuse though they didn't really need one. The Senju in particular had been holding a grudge against him personally for the last time that there was an incident between their two clans and this had only made things worse. The Uchiha on the other hand couldn't take the risk that the Uzumaki might join their distant Senju clan cousins, especially since the Uchiha were losing at the moment. He wasn't going to allow them to do as they pleased however, not if they threatened his family. It was time to go through with their emergency plans, their last resort that he prayed they would never have to use.

"Mito," Ashina whispered softly. "Come here."

"What is it father?" Mito asked the question.

Ashina wordlessly handed her the reports and waited as she read them. As she read it her face darkened and her chakra started leaking out, cracking the floor beneath her as she failed to reign herself in. Looking at her now, Ashina couldn't help but feel proud of the woman she had become both as a person and as a kunoichi. Her chakra was strong, far stronger than his own and that was saying something considering what he had inside of him. It wasn't any kind of natural talent or _un_ natural power that she had, just simple training day after day, pushing herself more and more until she finally reached where she was now.

There was a reason that she was called the Goddess of Kunoichi these days…

"…How long?" she finally inquired.

"They'll be here in two days," Ashina answered. "I want you to begin final preparations."

Mito stared at her for a moment before closing her eyes and nodding, knowing what he was asking of her. Not trusting her voice, she turned and walked towards the door, her every step cracking the floor beneath her feet as she moved. The Senju _and_ the Uchiha were going to invade Uzu no Kuni and crush the Uzumaki before resuming their own war. Mito knew the odds were stacked against them, especially with both clans being involved. The Uzumaki could probably fight one of them and survive, but both at the same time?

They didn't stand a chance…

"I love you father," Mito spoke quietly as she left the room.

"I love you too my little Mito-chan," Ashina said back. That was it, the order had been given and now it was out of his hands. He only prayed that he'd done enough for his daughter, his family and the future. He turned in his chair and stared out at the blue sky, his minding drifting back to his late wife. She would have been proud of their daughter too; if only she had lived then everything would be perfect.

Senju…

Uchiha…

If they dared to try and hurt the people he cared about again then he would show them exactly why you shouldn't anger an Uzumaki, especially one that was a Jinchuuriki. _'Hey,'_ Ashina thought as he rose from his seat. _'Are you ready for one last roll?'_

Deep within the back of his mind a looming figure rose from its slumber, its huge form easily the size of a hill. As it stepped forward to the front of his mindscape, he saw the light hit its form, _his_ form. _He_ was a giant turtle-like creature with a crab-like shell, spikes all over his body and three massive shrimp-like tails stretching from its rear. His face was protected by a large forehead and lower jaw with spikes.

" _ **I always am,"**_ replied the Sanbi. _**"I think father would have liked you, you and your daughter."**_

' _Thank you for everything Isopu.'_

Senju Butsuma wasn't the most emotional man in the world, far from it, but he did care greatly about his sons and clan. He'd spent his whole life on the battlefield fighting one battle after another, more often than not against the sworn enemy of the Senju clan, the Uchiha. The Senju and Uchiha clans were infamous for their hatred of each other, for their rivalry and their beliefs. The Will of Fire and the Curse of Hatred.

He hadn't planned to be here nor did he ever consider this course of action even if he had ordered contingencies to be put in place in case their wayward cousins ever decided to make a power play. The Uzumaki clan were an offshoot of the Senju clan after all and as the senior clan, they should obey Senju commands just like any other 'allied' clan. However instead of falling into line and accepting their place in the grand scheme of things by accepting the marriage contract, the Uzumaki had rejected it and in doing so they insulted the Senju.

The last time something like this happened was fifty years ago when the Senju had demanded that the Uzumaki hand over their knowledge of Fuinjutsu and in retaliation for their refusal, the Senju had made plans to wipe them out. Using their Mokuton bloodline they hunted down and captured the Sanbi, one of the nine Biju that roamed the Shinobi World. With their Mokuton bloodline they were able to take control of the beast's mind and then establish a temporary summoning contract with it. They then summoned it to Uzu no Kuni and used it to attack the Uzumaki clan with the sole intention of wiping them out. Even when they lost control of it during the battle, the Sanbi still rampaged through the night killing everything around it until something no one had predicted happened.

It was sealed…

A lone child, barely ten years old, stepped forward to face the beast and using his knowledge of his clan's Fuinjutsu, he sealed the Sanbi inside his own body. The boy later went onto becoming the next head of his clan, Uzumaki Ashina. After the battle, Ashina led several companies' worth of troops against the Senju which led to the latter being forced to redirect ninja from their war with the Uchiha to protect their backs from the Uzumaki. Eventually the Senju sued for peace with the Uzumaki and the two had kept away from each other ever since.

Time and again those red-haired freaks wouldn't fall into line like everyone else…

"Forward!"

The order was given and as one the Shinobi under his command ran along the beach and into the trees where they were most comfortable. The trees here were much smaller than those in Hi no Kuni however they still offered a fair amount of protection, especially for the Senju and their Mokuton bloodline. Still, there was something about all of this that he found troubling, as if something was wrong but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

It wasn't long before he realised what was wrong with this picture, after all it should have been obvious from the start. There was no one here; no one was waiting for them in the vain hope of defending their home, no one to guard or even walk along the beach, nothing. It was as quiet as a grave, silent and cold. That's when he heard it, the screams of his people as they died, cut down by an unknown assailant in the night. He took off towards where the screams were coming from and arrived a few minutes later to the sight of several dozens of his fellow Senju clan ninja lying in pieces on the ground. They'd been sliced in half, each and every one of them.

It was then that he saw _it_ …

A lone figure standing against the moonlight, dressed in the red and black armour of the Uzumaki clan with the customary forehead protector emblazoned with the Uzumaki clan symbol, an orange spiral. In his hands was a silver spear, its tip glowing an eerie red. There was no mistaking this presence, this pressure in the air, this sheer force of intent that was seemingly sucking the air out of the world around him. Butsuma knew who he was the moment he saw him, after all who else had this kind of presence about themselves?

"Uzumaki Ashina," Butsuma spoke calmly.

"Senju Butsuma," Ashina greeted back as he wiped his spear clean. "A fine night for a stroll, is it not?"

Butsuma was many things but a fool was not one of them, he knew that he was being baited, first by the death of his clansmen and now by his words. Running in blindly and attacking without a plan would accomplish nothing but his own death. He'd known Ashina for years now and knew that the greying redhead was a formidable opponent. Ever since he first became the clan head, Ashina had led them through one war after another, most notably against the Kaguya clan. Considering just how dangerous the Kaguya clan really was, it said a lot about the Uzumaki that they were able to kick them out of Uzu no Kuni.

"My apologies Ashina-dono but I'm afraid that you and your clan have gone too far this time. Surrender now," Butsuma said clearly.

"I refuse," Ashina responded simply.

" **Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"**

They both heard the shout which was soon followed by a fireball descending upon him from above and exploding as soon as it hit the ground. A lone figure dropped down into the now destroyed and burning clearing a moment later. It was Uchiha Tajima, the head of the Uchiha clan and the one person in the world that Butsuma hated the most. What was _he_ doing here? Was he here to help Ashina? No, he'd sooner die than help anyone that wasn't an Uchiha, especially not someone from a clan that he wasn't allied with.

"Damn," Tajima cursed as he stood up. "And here I was hoping to take both of you out with that one."

Butsuma had to bite back a curse at the way this battle was turning out and had to force himself to remain calm, especially in this situation. He knew that this was going to be difficult, Uzumaki Ashina was an exceptional shinobi and that was without taking the Sanbi into account so it wasn't like he wasn't expecting it. However with Tajima now involved and a battalion behind him, the situation had only gotten worse.

The trees rustled as the Senju and Uchiha clan members lunged at each other. For a moment Ashina contemplated just backing off and letting the two sides battle it out but if he did that then the fighting might move deeper into the island where the transportation seal was currently being used to send the rest of the Uzumaki clan to Britain. No, his only option was to hold them here and distract them long enough for the others to escape.

"Both of you are here at the same time? For two clans who hate each other, you both think alike," Ashina commented. "Maybe there's some history there?"

"We're nothing alike," Butsuma responded coldly. "We Senju have always been the strongest clan, and that won't change."

"Keep telling yourself that," Tajima said with a grin. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Enough of this," Butsuma glared back at his sworn enemy. "What are you doing here, Uchiha? This is a matter between the Senju and Uzumaki clans, the Uchiha have no place here."

"It concerns us too," Tajima shrugged before looking over at the grey-haired Uzumaki. "He rejected our proposal and now he has to face the consequences."

"I will not use my daughter or any other member of my clan just to ally with one of you," Ashina declared. "You both are the same when you think that if someone isn't with you then they're against you."

Suddenly another dozen Senju ninja burst out of the trees and descended upon the lone Uzumaki intent on killing him where he stood. Ashina saw them coming however and spun his spear around his arm, before slamming it down onto the ground. The area around him glowed before the attacking ninja abruptly fell to the ground with a series of echoing slams. A few seconds later they slowly changed, turning into wood right before his eyes.

" **Juryo Fuin,"** Ashina spoke clearly. "Wood clones won't help you here, Butsuma."

It wasn't the first time he'd faced a Senju or an Uchiha and he hadn't lived so long in a world where thirty was considered old by being careless. He knew enough about how both clans fought to be able to stay one step ahead of them. The Senju usually fought with numbers because of their larger than average chakra reserves, hurling disposable wood clones at their enemies to wear them down so that the main body could move in and finish the job.

Both clans had been considered the strongest for as long as anyone could remember, and there was a reason for that. Both clans were formidable in their own way however there was one thing that the Uzumaki had that neither clan seemed to have, and that was Fuinjutsu. It was the most complex of ninja arts and the most dangerous too because of its volatile and deadly nature. To this day the only ninja that had been able to master Fuinjutsu to a high enough level to be considered battle-worthy were the Uzumaki.

Something he had no problem in showing the world…

Tajima appeared in front of him and thrust his sword forward only for Ashina's spear to come up and deflect the strike. It was just a distraction however as Tajima used the opportunity provided by their clash to lock eyes with the grey-haired Uzumaki. The Genjutsu took hold and Ashina suddenly found himself restrained by a block of steel. The illusion was abruptly shattered a second later as Tajima moved in for the kill only to receive a harsh kick to the stomach sending him hurtling back and crashing into nearby tree which snapped it in two. Tajima narrowed his eyes in confusion, after all that was his preferred tactic and it had never failed him before. The Senju dealt with their ocular Genjutsu by having a wood clone nearby to snap them out of it and run interference, and it didn't take hold of Hyuga clan members properly but this was different, Ashina had broken his Genjutsu in a matter of seconds.

That wasn't possible for a non-Uchiha…

"Genjutsu doesn't work on a Jinchuuriki who is on good terms with their Biju," Ashina answered the unasked questioned as dark red chakra started to leak from his body and shape itself around him in the shape of a turtle. "He's my partner."

That complicated things Tajima thought as he considered what the Uzumaki clan head as saying. Was he implying what he thought that he was? No, impossible, controlling the Biju had only ever been possible with the Sharingan and Mokuton bloodlines. There was no way that Ashina could not only use the Sanbi's power but had also gained full control of the beast. Butsuma gritted his teeth in frustration as his mind worked through every contingency plan he could think of to deal with Ashina and the Sanbi. The only thing that he could think of was to try and suppress its chakra the moment that Ashina started throwing it around, something he wasn't sure he was capable of when the beast was inside a human body. There was just not enough known about Jinchuuriki for him to be certain it would work or not.

"You're strong Ashina-kun," Tajima reasoned. "Won't you reconsider my offer?"

"No," Ashina replied simply. "Never."

"…So be it," Tajima nodded at his words. He hadn't wanted to use it but if Ashina really did have full control if the Sanbi then he couldn't afford to hold anything back, not with the power of a Biju being thrown around. His Sharingan changed, spiralling round and morphing into a hexagon pattern as black flames erupted from his eyes. **"Amaterasu,"** he spoke clearly as the black flames lashed out and covered Ashina's chakra-covered body from head to toe.

This was the cursed power of the Uchiha, one with a terrible price and one that granted its user abilities beyond the norm. The black flames of Amaterasu couldn't be put out and burned for seven days and seven nights whenever they were unleashed. There was no defence against them other than to avoid them like the Senju did with their wood clones acting as disposable targets.

However nobody had told Ashina that…

" **Fuka Hoin!"** Ashina exclaimed as a scroll emerged from his sleeve. Even with his body covered in Isopu's chakra, he could still use his own Jutsu, something he demonstrated quite well when the scroll opened displaying a seal that sucked up the flames a moment later before they could teach him. Once they were all gone the scroll closed with a snap and fell to the ground in front of him, the black flames now sealed inside it.

"Impossible," Tajima whispered in shock. It wasn't possible, it was simply inconceivable that someone, anyone, could create a counter to his clan's most powerful fire Jutsu, one that could burn down a fortress in a matter of minutes. This more than anything convinced Tajima that Ashina needed to die and his clan hunted to extinction before they could teach others to do what he had just done. That couldn't be allowed to happen…

" **Mokuton: Jukai Kotan!"** Butsuma called out as his hands flashed through a series of hand-seals. The ground came alive as an even bigger forest than the one that was already there sprang up and seemingly rushed at Ashina who made no move to evade or escape.

There was no need…

' _Hey Isopu,'_ Ashina thought. _'Can I have a bit of a boost?'_

" _ **Yes,"**_ the Sanbi agreed. _**"Just make sure you take that Senju down, Kami I hate that bloodline."**_

Let it never be said that Isopu didn't hold a grudge…

' _Thanks,'_ the Uzumaki clan head smiled back in thought.

He remembered when they'd first met, after all they had fought, and then Isopu had ended up sealed within him. The first few weeks were hell not only for him but also everyone in the clan who weren't sure if the seal would break and they had to flee in order to get away from the rampaging Biju. That almost happened a few times however with his chakra which was capable of suppressing the Sanbi's power he was able to keep himself from losing control and hurting those around him. Eventually he was able to dive into his own mind and converse with the Sanbi.

That's when he made a deal…

If he could defeat the Sanbi in combat then Isopu would stop fighting him for control of his body and trying to escape. If the Sanbi won then he would be free and Ashina would be dead. Isopu accepted and they'd fought which eventually resulted in Ashina winning. They'd been friends ever since, or at least ever since he earned Isopu's respect. So when the forest had come alive and tried to kill Ashina, Isopu had no problem sending more chakra through his body, condensing it into a hardened deep crimson and black shroud in the shape of a turtle with three tails. His face was a black mask with a white mouth and equally white eyes.

When he had used the Sanbi's chakra before it had looked almost liquid allowing others to see inside of it. That was what he called his 'Version 1' chakra shroud, so by comparison his 'Version 2' chakra shroud had several noticeable differences, the main one being that his body was now nothing but a red haze with white eyes and mouth. He swung his hand down at the ground, a fist forming as he struck and roared an inhuman roar which shook the world. The forest that was coming at him disappeared, obliterated by the powerful shockwave released by the Human-Biju Hybrid.

This was the power of a Biju in human form…

A Jinchuuriki…

And it still wasn't the limit of their strength…

" **You come to these lands as if you own them, you come because someone dared not do as you demanded,"** Ashina said clearly. **"You will not live to regret it,"** he opened his mouth and brought his chakra tails together behind him. A second later red and blue chakra spheres sprang from his tails and compressed into a single ball that hovered in the air between them. In one motion he swung his tails around, pulling the chakra ball with it and swallowed the whole thing in one gulp.

"Shit," Butsuma cursed aloud as he jumped back and bit his thumb. **"Kuchiyose: Sanju Rashomon!"**

" **Bijudama!"**

There was no way he could survive that, an attack like that was immensely powerful, one that only the Biju were capable of. He quickly raced through hand-seals and slammed his hand down on the ground. Seals spread out across the ground and smoke exploded upwards as three massive demonic gates emerged into existence like three towering gods. A moment later the chakra orb exploded from Ashina's mouth and crossed the distance between him and the first demonic gate. The _**Bijudama**_ tore through one gate after another until finally it came out the side of the third gate and detonated. The world was engulfed in light as the blast lit up the battlefield, a dome of destruction suddenly appearing in its midst.

This was the power of a Biju…

For a moment Butsuma wasn't sure if he'd been hit or not but after registering the burning pain coming from his shoulder he realised that he was indeed still alive. The demonic gates he'd summoned had been able to at least deflect the _**Bijudama**_ enough to not kill him outright though it had still grazed his side as it massed before it exploded. Idly he looked back over his shoulder at where the Uchiha clan head had been standing and narrowed his eyes as he saw the dust clear.

He'd survived too…

Barely…

" **So that's…"** Ashina mused at the sight that greeted him.

" **Susanoo,"** Tajima spoke as clearly as he could.

It was massive, a towering grey giant made of chakra that stretched upwards from Tajima's form. It had no legs and was shaped like a yamabushi with Tajima himself standing inside its ribcage. Muscle and armour formed over it until it was fully formed. Ashina didn't say anything more, he merely charged forward in a burst of speed, crossing the distance between them in a matter of seconds. He'd heard various reports of the Uchiha clan's _**Susanoo**_ , a Jutsu that allowed them to create large bodies of physical chakra to combat their enemies though they were rare and were attributed to their 'Mangekyo Sharingan' that manifested at seemingly random times during battles. He'd personally never faced one in battle before and wasn't going to take any chances. He lunged right at the armoured giant and threw a punch only for the sword of chakra in its hands to swing from the side, batting him away with enough force to send him flying through the remaining trees.

Butsuma grudgingly acknowledged the power and skill of his long-time nemesis. After all how many times had the Uchiha called forth those abominations to fight on the frontlines? Too many to count if he was being honest, after all it seemed like every Uchiha that unlocked that cursed bloodline of theirs, the 'Mangekyo Sharingan,' ended up manifesting one of those things. Still, he couldn't help but admire the way it had managed to land a solid hit on the overwhelming Uzumaki clan head. He knew first-hand what it took to bring down a _**Susanoo**_ , especially one that was fully developed like Tajima's seemed to be. Usually the Uchiha that used it had to use what chakra they had in order to maintain it so to combat it, Senju clan members generally just threw disposable wood clones at them until they ran out of chakra and then killed them when they were on their last legs.

Not the most honourable of strategies but it worked…

Ashina had his own method of dealing with a _**Susanoo**_ , and that was to go all out. He'd bought his clansmen enough time to evacuate and now it was time to end this. After seeing his opponents bring out their most powerful abilities he saw no reason to hold back anymore, after all it was just him that he was risking now. So without another word he pushed himself back to his feet and drew on more of Isopu's chakra which the Sanbi happily provided if for no other reason than to see the Senju that had controlled it get their asses kicked. The red haze bubbled even more than it did before and expanded, changing even more than it had already.

It grew…

And grew…

Butsuma felt the change before he saw it, the seemingly endless sea of power that erupted from Ashina' form as his chakra shroud grew in size and shape until finally it towered over him. Like before it resembled a turtle with a crab-like shell and spikes all over it. Its shrimp-like tails swung behind it as it glared with such inhuman fury that even Butsuma whom had fought countless battles took a step back at the sheer presence that it exuded almost effortlessly.

The Sanbi….

Incredible…

"Magnificent," Tajima commented in amazement.

He'd read the reports and heard his clansmen whom had run into one of these foul demons before but it hadn't prepared him to see one first-hand. The sheer size of it alone dwarfed that of his _**Susanoo**_ and the waves of power emanating from it was immense, almost unmeasurable. And this was one of the 'weaker' Tailed Beasts? Supposedly the power of a Biju was indicated by the number of tails they possessed so if this was the power of the Sanbi, what kind of monster was the Kyuubi? The Uzumaki couldn't be allowed to gain possession of the other Biju, especially if they were able to accomplish what Ashina had done with the Sanbi.

Any further thoughts on the matter were cut short as Ashina—no—Isopu rushed forward, its shell practically running over Tajima's _**Susanoo**_ and rolling right over him. The Sanbi spun into a roll and turned before coming back. Tajima was barely able to reform _**Susanoo**_ before Isopu bulldozed right over it and forced the Uchiha clan head to throw himself out of the way. Fast, that was his only thought as he watched the Sanbi continuing to roll for a bit before stopping and turning its gaze towards him.

" **Mokuton: Mokuryu no Jutsu!"** Butsuma exclaimed from below as he quickly flashed through hand-seals and then thrust his hand forward.

A large wooden dragon emerged from the ground around him, this one long and smooth. It turned towards Isopu and launched itself at the fully formed Tailed Beast. There was no time to dodge so Isopu instead opted to smashing its armoured shell directly into the wooden dragon's nose. A second later they felt it, the sudden drain on their combined chakra reserves as the wood dragon tried and partially succeeded in suppressing a bit of their power. Clearly the Mokuton bloodline could still at least restrain a Biju's power even if it was being channelled through a Jinchuuriki Ashina mused silently as the wood dragon quickly wrapped itself around Isopu's shell. In response to this, Isopu roared once more and started gathering chakra into a single orb at its mouth.

" **Bijudama!"**

The chakra sphere exploded forwards, aimed right at where Butsuma was standing only for the head of the wood dragon to move between them. Its mouth opened wide as it caught the _**Bijudama**_ , its nature keeping the orb stable just long enough for the wood dragon to slam it back into Isopu's shell. It destabilized at that exact moment and exploded in a dome of light, the blast incinerating everything it touched in a matter of seconds.

Including the Sanbi…

The dust cleared after several long and agonizing moments to reveal a heavily wounded Ashina kneeling in the middle of a large crater. He was back in human form now with the Sanbi nowhere in sight, his transformation having worn off after absorbing its own attack. He was at his limit and he knew it. His spear wasn't anywhere in sight, his chakra reserves were starting to dwindle and he was having trouble calling upon Isopu's power after being partially suppressed like it had. Given time he could definitely draw on Isopu's chakra again but time was the one thing that he didn't have.

That only left one option…

The final option…

' _This is it Isopu,'_ Ashina thought grimly as he forced himself back to his feet. _'Look after yourself my friend.'_

" _ **I won't forget you friend,"**_ Isopu told him as two shadows dropped down behind his Jinchuuriki.

Ashina smiled sadly as he stood up and turned to look at the heads of the Senju and Uchiha clans whom both looked like they were on their last legs too. They had nothing left, none of them did, all they had was their bodies. No bloodline limits, no Jinchuuriki powers, just three warriors whose sole intent was to win at any cost. It was then; when he was standing there that he heard it, the distant sound of a thousand explosive tags going off at once in the distance.

The transportation seal had been destroyed…

"You came to these lands believing that conquering the Uzumaki would be easy," Ashina spoke calmly as he stripped off his battered and broken armour to reveal his bleeding chest. "You were wrong."

With one swift motion he brought his hand to his stomach as the seal holding the Sanbi inside of him appeared. The key-seal appeared on his hand as he pressed it to the seal on his stomach and turned clockwise. He removed his hand just in time for the seal to unfold and chakra to explode outwards from the seal. Butsuma and Tajima didn't have time to fight or even escape before the Sanbi materialized in front of them and crushed them beneath its wait. Isopu roared as his _former_ Jinchuuriki fell back and gasped as he felt a piece of himself disappear.

He'd had Isopu in his body for so long that he had forgotten what it felt like to be without him…

He didn't regret his decision to set Isopu free, after all they'd been friends for decades now and it was because of him that Ashina could honestly say that he lived this long. Ashina knew that he wasn't a saint, none of them were, but he knew that he'd always done what he believed to be right and this was no different. The Biju deserved to be free to do whatever they wished and go wherever they wanted. Sadly the world and more importantly humanity refused to let them do that. The Senju had hunted Isopu down and used their Mokuton bloodline to control him. It was only because Ashina had sealed him within his own body that the Senju weren't able to keep him enslaved.

For Isopu he had gone from a slave to a prisoner…

Or at least that's what it was for a time…

Because even if they started out as a prisoner and his jailer they had gone onto become true partners. The years had passed and Ashina was an old man now, or at least he was by Shinobi standards. This was the end of his journey and he knew it. He wasn't afraid to die for his clan, his legacy, his family. His people were strong, especially his daughter, oh his little Mito. She would surpass him, of that he had no doubts, after all she had her whole life ahead of her, one filled with better days than the one she'd known up to this point.

But that was another story…

 _I love you my little Mito…_

Quietly and peacefully, Uzumaki Ashiina passed away under the moonlight…

 **Author's Notes:**

 _ **Translation**_

Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu = Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique  
Juryo Fuin = Gravity Seal  
Amaterasu = Heavenly Illumination  
Fuka Hoin = Fire Sealing Method  
Mokuton: Jukai Kotan = Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees  
Kuchiyose: Sanju Rashomon = Summoning: Triple Rashomon  
Bijudama = Tailed Beast Ball  
Susanoo = He with the ability to help by all means  
Mokuton: Mokuryu no Jutsu = Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique

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See Ya Later…


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